Coupling for socket wrenches



Ressued Feb. 27, 1934 19,093 COUPLING FOR SOCKET WRENCHES Edward M. Iyfausen Milwaukee, Wis., assignor to Blackhawk Manufacturing Company, Milwaukee, Wis.

original No. 1,896,645,dated February 7, 1933,

Serial No. 388,201, August 24, 1929. Applica.- tion for reissue March 25, 1933. Serial No.

662,819 4 Claims.

My invention refers to wrenches of the nterchangeable socket type and particularly to heavyduty wrenches. Under ordinary conditions, the heavy-duty sockets, when locked in connection l with the Wrench stem, are exceedingly difficult to disconnect by some manual release means.

My present invention, therefore, is particularly directed to a simple, effective and economical manually controlled lock and release mechanism for the wrench-head proper, whereby the interchangeable heads are readily attached or removed as the case may require.

With the above objects in View, the invention consists in certain pecularities of construction and combination of parts, as will be fully set forth with reference to the accompanying drawing and subsequent claims.

In the drawing, Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a Wrench equipped with a Wrench-head or socket, embodying the features of my invention, the socket head being in section, as indicated byline 1-1 of Figure 2; and

Figure 2 is an enlarged cross section of the same, the section being indicated by line 2-2 of Figure l 1, and Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 of a modification.

Referring by character to the drawing, 1 indicates an actuating bar and 2 the stem of a wrench. The stem terminates with a reduced polygonal vshank 3, the shank,in this particular instance being rectangular in form.

As best shown in Figure 2 of the drawing, the squared shank 3 is provided with axially aligned recesses 4 4. Loosely mounted in each recess is a locking plunger 5 which plunger is reduced intermediate of its ends to form a shoulder-6, whereby said plunger 1s permanently held Within the recess by an upset at the mouth of the recess, which upset forms a flange '7 for engagement with the shoulder. The outer end of the plunger normally projects beyond the face of the plunger for locking purposes, and the inner end of said plunger is cupped for the reception of a coil spring 8, which spring is interposed between the base of the plunger cup and recess 4.

Fitted to the Wrench shank is an interchangeable wrench-head 9, which head in this exemplication of my invention is of the socket kind. The head is of perfectly circular contourand it is formed with a reduced circular neck 10, Which neck is provided with a polygonal socket 11 which corresponds in shape to the shank which, as previously stated, in this instance is rectangular in cross section.

The wrench-head neck is provided with a pair of cir-cular openings 12-12 extending therethrough, which openings are disposed radially and at an angle of degrees, as best shown in Figure 2. The inner ends of the openings correspond in diameter to the plunger 5, one of which C is always in actual alignment with the plunger. These openings 12 for a predetermined distance are enlarged to receive collar portions 13 of push buttons 13, and said push buttons are thus loosely mounted and adapted to reciprocate back and forth in the openings, but are permanently confined by do-wnturned flanges 14, formed inthe outer Wall of the head neck. Hence, the movements of said plunger are limited in both directions and, owing to the shouldered enlarged portions of the openings 12, the inner ends of the buttons will at no time project beyond the face or faces of the female neck socket.

Hence, when the Wrench shank enters the socketed neck, it is impossible for either plunger to abut the face of a button, until the plunger is aligned with the button opening. It will also be observed by reference to Figure 2 that when a plunger 5 is in locking engagement with the Wrench-head, owing to the spring associated with the plunger 5, the aligned button Will `be forced out in such a position that the outer end of the button is extended beyond the outer wall of the neck. It will also be observed that owing to the fact the head is of greater diameter than the neck, the button is more or less protected to prevent injury to parties handling the Wrenchhead in a turning operation. This is due particularly to the fact that parties guiding the Wrench will, under all conditions, grasp the larger end of the head. f

Attention is also directed to the fact that, owing to the peculiar arrangement of the pair of plungers with reference to the releasing buttons, a coupling operation can be effected Without any attention to alignment between a piunger and a. releasing button.

Furthermore, it will be observed from the foregoing description that when it is desired to release a Wrench-head, the operator simply presses the extended button whereby pressure is exerted upon its associated plunger 5 to release it from the locking opening 4 into which it was previously seated. Briefly, it will be understood that in this device each interchangeable Wrench-head carries one or more push buttons for releasing the blind locking mechanism.

Where only one release position and plunger 13 are provided, as illustrated in Figure 3, the user may optionally lock the parts by registering one While I have shown "and describedlzonemarticular exemplication of my invention in allor its details, it is understood that I may vary such details within the knowledge of the skilled me# chanic and as interpreted by the language of: theaA claims.

I claim:

1. In a tool connection, a shank of polygonal'HL shape in cross section, a member having a socket similarly shaped for releasably,.-receivingthef shank, a spring-pressed latch plunger Icarried bythe shank, the member having a keeperiopening v for receiving the latch plunger, said opening extending entirely through the member andhaving limiting shoulders adjacent to its opposite ends,

and a. release buttonlfor theplunger latch Jslid-l ably mounted in the opening having 'anannular'f' enlargement intermediate its ends forleng'aging theV limiting shoulders at the ends of its moveil 2. A coupling for a shank 'and wrench heady comprising a polygonal stud member and'fa co`'- Y opening substantially'atlright angles to the longioperating socket member having a --cooperating polygonal bore fitting said stud;said"stud being insertable endwise rinto the bore'of rsaid socketin any one of a plurality of angular*V positions fori easily -detachable connection and @adapted vto Y transmit torque byvirtue'of--said-polygonal said' members having means for preventing end-l wise separation when desired, comprisin'gy a locking pin carried by the stud and extending from@ one of the polygonal sidesof the stud, and a reg-- istering openingthrough the v wall off-theA socket the thickness -of the :socket walls `dei'ln'ingsaid opening being greatervAthan-the length-of' the# projecting partY of the pin whereby-said opening* constitutes a bore,'the pin projecting intoisth'ef innerend of -lthe-bore only-fand the outerendfof the bore forming` a guide-fora .releasinghpinp said stud having a transverse recess in one 'off its polygonal sides in which recess` said pin is guided and retained, said 4vpin having -areduced Sendfr adapted to `project from saidrecess intov the inner end of the bore off'said opening, th'e-rex'zes'sl having a shoulder at its fmouth' 'for-'cooperating with -the pin to limit the outward travel of said# reduced end to a distancerless than' theflengthoiA the registering openingin'the-socket', a springrinv-f said recess tending to push the pin out of the. recess, said pin projecting into said openin'gsnb-Ef stantially at right angles to the longitudinal axis:-

of said members whereby saidimembersiare tively locked against `rlongitudinal separation when the opening andpin are inY register; andfthek stud and socket are frictionally held` together` when the pin and opening areV out ofregisterr 3. A coupling for a shank andf-wrenchhead;

comprising a square stud member and a socket member having a cylindrical exterior periphery and a cooperating square bore tting said stud, said stud being insertable in said socket member in 'anyone'f-of. a V`plurality"offangular positions anda-:beingtad'apted toi transmit-Stormie byvirtue of said square fit, said members having means for preventing endwise separation, comprising a vlocking pin carried by the stud and extending from one ofWthe-square sides of the stud, and there being a registering opening through the sidelwallfofithe socketwhere the Wall of the socketfihaszsubstantially maximum thickness between the square bore and the cylindrical periplfiery-,fwherebyY .thegsaid opening provides a vbore forrreceiving the locking pin at its inner end,

and `a guide at its-outer end for guiding a releasing pin, said studl having a transverse recess in one of itsfsquare sides in which recess said pin is guided and retained, said pin having a reduced endadap'ted to project---fromilsaidl recess,` the recesslhavin'g a shoulder-'atfits mouthvfo'rcooperat@ ing lJavith" the pini' tolir'nittle outward travel-of the reduced endl to'a distance less than the length of f said registering opening., inthe socket, and a spring in' said.y recesstending tovpush the pin out oft the rece/ssffsaid Apin projecting-into said tion'v and a cooperating"I socket member havingV a v bore matingf-withlsaid stud,`said stud being insertabl'e endwiselyintolz-the bore of vsaid socket and being adapted to transmit torquey by virtue,

of the non-circular-conguration of the cooperating parts@ of! the l members, tsaid members having means -fo'r preventing endwise sepa/ration comprising-a vlockinglpin Vcarried by said"stud and extending from the side of lthe' stud, there being an opening Ain the sidewall Vfof f the .socket-registering with the positioneotfthe :locking pin, the

S= wall thickress of the socket Y member about said opening being great enough to provide a bore fori'eceiving--at litsLinner-f"'end'the part ofthe pin Whichvfprojects from the' stud'and :providing sa guid'eatfitsouter endfo'r guiding-a releasing pin, saidstudiha'vin'ga transverse :recess inwhich recess said pin is guided and retained, said pin .'havingfa reducedend-adapted`ltor project from said recess,-fthefrecessfhaving ya Yshoulder at itsv mouth- F'for 'cooperatingtwith thepin tolimit the youtward travelof lthey reduced end to' a distance less'vtha'n Athelengthfof said! registering opening in the lsocllz'e't,l 'and .a spring insaid recess tending to fpushf th'efpiniout "01E-therrecess,l said pin pro- -'jecting'.*.into` vsaic'idfolaeninga sulcient distance to lock-positivelysaid Vmembers against longitudi-ly nali:Y separationi".

EDWARD M. 'PFAUSER 

